Shirakabaha

In 1910, a loose association of alumni of the prestigious Gakushuin Peer’s School in Tokyo began a literary society.

In particular, the group emphasized idealism, humanism and individualism, over the naturalism that had been the dominant trend in Japanese literature of the Taishō period.

Early members included Shiga Naoya (1883-1971), Mushanokōji Saneatsu (1885-1976), Yanagi Sōetsu (1889-1961), Satomi Ton (1888-1983), Arishima Takeo (1878-1923) and Nagayo Yoshirō (1888-1961).

Their literature was typically of the ‘I novel’ genre, and was concerned with the life of individuals, often incorporating optimistic philosophy into their work.

Some of these individuals came with wealthy families, and attempted to emulate Tolstoy in creating utopian agrarian communes in remote parts of Japan.